Implications: the Polar Regions

Far more than in other regions, the environmental future of the polar
regions is largely determined by global developments. The Arctic and Antarctic
share various environmental concerns with other regions and with one another.

Despite shared concerns, the two sub-regions that make up the GEO-3
Polar Region are very different in geographical circumstances, in their
degree of isolation from major centres of population and human activity
and in their legal status. In addition, unlike the Antarctic, the Arctic
has a permanent human population, including indigenous peoples (see Chapter
2).